Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Kai Havertz has suffered a knee injury and will spend time on the sidelines, though Arsenal are still waiting on test results to establish the full extent of the problem.
The Germany international picked up the injury during his substitute appearance at Old Trafford last weekend.
Initial fears of a season-ending ACL rupture have been played down, but Havertz is nevertheless expected to be ruled out for a sustained period, with suggestions of a two-month absence rather than the remainder of the campaign.
Facing the media ahead of Saturday’s match against Leeds United, Arteta would not be drawn on specifics. “We don’t really know the extent of it. We need a bit more time and some more tests and after that we will have some more clarity,” he said.
“I prefer not to talk about the specifics but he is not fit. We need to explore this situation a bit further and decide what we are going to do. I don’t know [how long he will be out for]. I would love to have him available for tomorrow.”
It is likely when Arteta says “decide what we are going to do” he is referencing the need for surgery or if it can be managed.
Fitness doubts are also already mounting elsewhere in the squad.
At Wednesday’s open training session at the Emirates, Ben White and Christian Nørgaard were absent, while Jurrien Timber was withdrawn from parts of the drills.
Arteta admitted: “Christian Nørgaard won’t be in the squad. Ben [White], let’s see. Jurrien [Timber] we need to manage his load. That’s why we took him out of the main session at open training.”
It is expected that Nørgaard could be back next week.
With Gabriel Jesus still recovering from knee surgery (on the grass, doing well), Arsenal are now dealing with five senior players unavailable or carrying injuries just one week into the season.
Based on early timelines and rumours, the most likely outcomes for Havertz include a moderate medial collateral ligament sprain, or a minor meniscus tear they are trying to manage conservatively.
Both typically rule a player out for six to eight weeks, long enough to disrupt the early months of the campaign without forcing season-long absence.